Descartes Relationship Between Mind and Body - 922 Words

In Meditation Six entitled â€Å"Concerning the Existence of Material Things, and Real Distinction between the Mind and Body†, one important thing Descartes explores is the relationship between the mind and body. Descartes believes the mind and body are separated and they are two difference substances. He believes this to be clearly and distinctly true which is a Cartesian quality for true knowledge. I, on the other hand, disagree that the mind and body are separate and that the mind can exist without the body. First, I will present Descartes position on mind/body dualism and his proof for such ideas. Secondly, I will discuss why I think his argument is weak and offer my own ideas that dispute his reasoning while I keep in mind how he might†¦show more content†¦This explains how a body can exist without a mind but does not explain how a mind can exist without a body. There is no example that shows where a mind exists on its own. God might be an example of this because he is a perfect, omnipotent, omniscient, infinite being who we would think must have a mind but to attribute a human mind to God would be anthropomorphizing him. In order to prove Descartes argument there should be an example of when a mind exists completely on its own. My second objection is related to how the mind is indivisible but the body is divisible which makes them different in nature and therefore different substances. For Descartes the body can be thought of as having parts such as a foot, leg, or arm that if the body were to lose one part it would still function the same. Also Descartes argues that the mind cannot be thought of as having parts. I believe the mind can be thought of as divisible. The mind can be thought of as having parts in several different ways. There is the subconscious part of the mind and the conscious part of the mind. The brain can also be divided into the left and right hemispheres that each control different things. It can also be divided into part such as personality and memories. Each of these can be thought of without the other. In today’s day in age it is even possible for a person to live with only one half of a brain and they still function like another human being. Therefore I argue the mind isShow M oreRelatedHow did Descartes Explain the Relationship between Mind and Body? 1092 Words   |  5 Pages Across the years, many scientists and philosophers believed that a human being is made up by mind and body (Radner, 1971). Some of them believed that the mind-soul is something different from the body and each of them works by themselves without any interaction between them (Radner, 1971). The other point of view said that body and mind works together as a unity and mutually influences each other and the result is the human being. 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Therefore, the purpose of this paperRead MoreThe Theory Of The Mind Body Dualism1232 Words   |  5 PagesRenà © Descartes was a French mathematician, scientist, and philosopher of the 16th Century, who, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, â€Å"was one of the first to abandon scholastic Aristotelianism and created the first version of the modern mind-body dualism or emotion† (Encyclopedia Britannica). Born on March 31, 1596, he was dubbed as the Father of Modern Philosophy. His theory on the mind-body dualism, also known as Cartesian Dualism, created a stem of the modern problem of the relationship betweenRead MoreDescartes And The Scientific Revolution1052 Words   |  5 PagesDescartes, a philosopher, mathematician and scientist, was a fundamental player in the scientific revolution, which influenced his perspectives on the question of self. 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